Locking means for valves



May 28, 1935. c. M. POTTS El AL 2,002,615

LOCKING MEANS FOR VALVES Filed Aug. 8, 1935 3} f 7 j I Inventor lfiil oiizs fifizzlz wv Patented May 28, 1935 UNITED STATES LOCKING MEANS FOR VALVES Curran M. Potts and Paul B. Ellington, Winter Haven, Fla.

Application August 8, 1933, Serial No. 684,278

1 Claim.

This invention relates to locking means for valves or cocks, the invention being mainly designed for a cock or valve of a water meter, the general object of the invention being to provide means whereby the cock or valve cannot be opened without a special form of wrench, with means for preventing the plug from being withdrawn from the casing, and means for holding the plug in either its open or closed position.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the invention, with parts broken away.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the upper part of the device, with the wrench in place.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the wrench.

In this drawing, the letter A indicates the casing of the valve or cook and the letter B indicates the plug. In carrying out our invention, we provide the top part of the casing with a housing I having its top closed with an opening 2 in a side part thereof, the lower wall of which is located in a plane above the top of the plug and above the bottom of the chamber formed by the housing. The upper end of the plug is preferably of cylindrical shape and with a part cut away to form a recess 3, and opposite the recessed part a notch 4 is formed in the upper end of the plug, the inner wall of which is of arcuate shape, as shown in Figure 3. A dog 5 is pivoted in the notch at the point 6, and a spring I tends to press the dog outwardly, the spring being placed in a bore 8 passing transversely through the upper end of the plug and having its end opposite the dog closed by a small plug 9. Notches I0 and I I are formed in the bottom of the chamber formed by the housing I and the spring I will force the dog into either one of these notches when the plug is in either an open or a closed position and thus the plug will be held against turning movement. The engagement of the dog with either notch I0 or I I will also prevent the plug from being pulled downwardly out of the casing A.

As shown in the drawing, the chamber formed by the housing I is of greater diameter than the bore of the upper end of the casing A which receives the upper end of. the plug so that a shoulder is formed at the bottom of the chamber which surrounds the said bore and the notches I0 and II are formed in the shoulder. The small plug 9 has its outer face flush with the vertical wall of the recess 3.

The letter C indicates a special form of wrench which must be used to turn the plug B. This wrench is formed with a head I2 having a recess l3 therein which is of the same shape as the upper end of the plug 13, as shown more particularly in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 3, this wrench should be placed through the opening 2 in the housing I and then moved downwardly so that the recess I3 in the head I2 of the wrench will fit over the upper end of the plug and as this is done, a part of the head I2 will engage the dog 5 and press the same inwardly out of engagement with a notch III or II and then by giving the handle of the wrench a partial rotary movement, the plug can be turned to either open or closed position. Then by lifting the wrench out of engagement with the plug, the spring I will force the dog 5 outwardly into engagement with the notch I0 or I I and thus the plug is held in its adjusted position. As before stated, this dog not only holds the plug in either its open or closed position, but it also prevents the plug from being moved downwardly out of the casing.

As before stated, the invention is mainly designed for the cut-off of a water meter and when so used, it will prevent theft of water as often occurs through the opening of the cook or valve by the person wishing to use the water. Unless the proper authorities inspect the meter when this is done, there is no way of telling that the water has been turned on. This invention will also prevent a mischievously inclined person from turning water on in a building.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent. I

It is to be understood that changes may made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of upper end of the plug and said housing being internally reduced at its point of juncture with the casing, said reduced part forming an opening through which the upper end of the plug passes and said reduced part forming an annular interior shoulder in the bottom part of the housing, said shoulder having a pair of spaced depending recesses therein, the space between the internal wall of the housing and the upper part of the plug being narrow the upper end of the plug being of irregular shape in cross section and having a recess therein opening out through a side part thereof, a dog pivoted in the recess in the plug, a spring for forcing the dog into one of said recesses in the shoulder when the plug has been moved to a position where the dog is opposite said recess, whereby said dog prevents turning movement of the plug and also prevents withdrawal of the plug from the bottom of the casing, and a wrench having a depending socketed part on its head for receiving said upper end of the plug, a portion of the Wall of the socket moving the dog into the recess in the upper end of the plug, the handle of the wrench having a portion resting on the bottom Wall of the side opening of the housing when the socket engages the upper end of the plug.

CURRAN M. POTTS.

PAUL B. ELLINGTON. 

